Effects of Fatty Acid and Geraniol Repellent-Oil Mixtures Applied to Cattle on Blood Feeding and Reproductive Parameters in Field Populations of Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae).

Abstract

California pastured cattle were treated with 250 ml of a 15% mixture of fatty acids (C8-C9-C10) or 125 ml of 2% geraniol in a mineral oil carrier to assess impacts on horn flies, Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) over two summers. Horn flies were netted from cattle every 3-4 d for 2 wk before treatment, 2 wk during treatment (four treatments, with flies collected before each treatment), and 2 wk after treatments ceased. Blood meal weights were estimated by hemoglobin assay of excised abdomens. Other females were dissected to determine the number of active ovarioles and the stage of primary follicle development. Depending on year and herd, pretreatment males contained an average of 0.6-1.0 mg of blood, while females contained 1.7-2.7 mg. Pretreatment egg development (least developed oocytes were stage 1 and fully developed eggs were stage 5) averaged 3.7-4.3, and number of active ovarioles averaged 18.1 to 19.6/female. During treatment periods, significant reductions in blood weight were noted for females, but usually not for males, and females also often exhibited reduced mean oocyte stage and number of active ovarioles. Peaks in proportions of young nulliparous females (oocyte stages 1 or 2) were seen during some repellent application periods. This suggested older females had been killed or driven off from the local population by the treatments, and flies on cattle included more young flies that likely were recent arrivals. The repellent-oil mixture thus impacted blood feeding, reproductive fitness, and probably age structure in the field.